Rambles
by spiritofwolf
Summary: A collection of drabbles of what could have been. Random stuff that probably won't be continued and are too short to be a stand-alone oneshot, but just need to be posted. Fandoms: DP/HP/YGO/StH/WR/CLAMP/HTTYD/Okami/WD/FMA/CoDMW
1. DPYGO: First Encounter

Disclaimer: I do not own DP or YGO.

* * *

"So," thought Yugi, ducking under a canteen table as chaos broke loose. "Sennen Item or split personality?"

"My bets would be on an Item, but I cannot sense any Shadow magic, so it may be a mixed case." The spirit dodged a green blast instinctively, eyes widening as the air whooshing past him in its wake chilled his 'skin'. "That was no Shadow magic. Split personality it is."

The two watched from under their wooden shelter as the white-haired boy twisted mid-air to avoid several green projectiles, throwing a few of his own in return. His enemy- a ghost, from the screams that were echoing in the now-silent canteen- sneered about the boy's pelt, and he replied with a cheerful jibe about how honoured he was, following up with a flurry of ice-blue energy that froze the ghost in his tracks.

The boy whipped out- was that a _thermos_? As the ice broke, he aimed the container and smiled. "Thanks for the fight, Skulker."  
An odd expression came to the creature's face. "Always glad, Ghost Child. But your pelt will hang from my wall next time!"

As the ghost was sucked into the cylinder in the boy's hands, Yugi mused. "You know, with all the talk about ghosts, it could easily be possession we're seeing. It's not always to do with the Items."

Yami no Yugi considered this. He shook his head in amusement and weary resignment. "Hard to imagine. I mean, look at Marik- can't even have a split personality without gaining powers and homicidal urges to take over the world."  
"Only us, mou hitori no boku," laughed Yugi. "Only us."


	2. DPYGO: Rules

Disclaimer: I do not own DP or YGO.

* * *

"That's against the rules."

Seto Kaiba exhaled loudly. The creature had been following him around for almost a day now, unseen by anyone else, and the continuous nattering about rules and jail and punks was wearing heavily on his nerves.

It was starting- he thought, trying to relax in the air conditioning and looking everywhere but at the creature- to be worse than Yugi and his cheerleader friends.

"Nii-sama?" Mokuba frowned, getting into the limousine beside Seto. "Who's that?"

"An annoyance." The CEO rubbed his brows.

"Calling names? That's against the-"

Kaiba snapped.

"SCREW THE RULES, I HAVE MONEY!"


	3. DPHP: Danny's Sorting

In this, the identity of Danny Phantom is only known to the citizens of Amity Park, and Team Phantom has pleaded with them to keep this a secret. The Ministry of Magic opened investigations after Phantom Planet, but Team Phantom is naturally secretive- the Ministry representatives don't seem too friendly. And honestly, how many people outside Amity are going to believe in halfas? Ghosts maybe, but half-ghosts? Nah. However, Team Phantom and the Fentons are found to have magical talent, possibly due to the extensive exposure to ectoplasmic energy. Since the Fenton parents are too old and/or have comparatively little talent, only Team Phantom is chosen to attend Hogwarts as exchange students.

This is a scene of Danny's sorting. There will be drabbles about the sorting of the other members of Team Phantom, but they will be posted separately, and in order of their sorting. Assume that all exchange students have their names called out at the end, after all the first years. This is just a drabble, so do not ask what year they are in- even I don't know.

Disclaimer: I do not own DP or HP.

* * *

"Fenton, Daniel!"  
Danny climbed the few stairs to the stool, edgy at how the entire school's eyes were on him. Picking up the Hat, he sat himself down and placed it onto his messy black locks. Despite the warning they had received in advance from the Headmaster, he jumped when the Hat began to speak.

_Hmm. A very interesting mind. You have a secret- one that you fear will bring harm to you and those around you. No small amount of courage either; my, my, the things you have achieved! Defeating Pariah Dark-_

Frantic, Danny had to resist the urge to blast the Hat, and resorted to yelling, _How do you know all this?_

_That _is _my job, you know, _the Hat informed him huffily. _Don't worry, all this will be confidential. And just think normally, boy. I can hear your thoughts just fine without you broadcasting them like a foghorn!_

The halfa sighed in relief. The Hat continued: _But behind all that, you fear the return of your dark self, although you already possess some of the qualities that he did: a keen strategic mind, determination for a cause at any cost-_

_Only if it is a cost to myself,_ Danny countered. _Look, I know where this is going, but if it's all the same to you, I'd rather not be in Slytherin. I know the whole thing about facing your fears making you a better person and all that, but __I'm not an ordinary person.__ I've faced my fear before, and I know what will happen if I fail. It doesn't just affect me. Hundreds of innocents could be slaughtered, including my friends. Would you bring that down upon the school?Because that is a risk I'm not willing to take. If you sort me into Slytherin, I'm leaving Hogwarts._

In the depths of his mind, he muttered lowly to himself. _Sometimes I think it would be better for Jazz, Tuck and Sam if they would realise how dangerous I am and just stay away from Phantom._

_My dear boy, you truly do not understand what your friendship is worth to them, do you? Perhaps that lesson will be best learnt in HUFFLEPUFF!_

Taking the Hat off, Danny managed to walk down the steps to the floor and glance at the rest of Team Phantom before he burst out laughing. He really couldn't help himself; amid the stares of the entire Hogwarts population, he laughed himself silly, hands clutching his stomach.

Tucker was the first to get it. Chuckling, he whispered two words to the puzzled Jazz and Sam: "Little Badger."

It wasn't long before the entire Team Phantom was rolling on the floor with mirth, leaving Hogwarts firmly convinced that their new exchange students were very, very crazy indeed.


	4. YGO: Seal the Shadows

This may not be canon- yet again, I have not watched all the episodes- but it is purely for the drama, anyway.

Disclaimer: I do not own YGO.

* * *

"I'm afraid I don't understand, my Pharaoh." A blatant lie if he ever heard one, but it was better than the alternative.

"Seth, I've been explaining this for half an hour, and I know for a fact that you are far from stupid." Atem frowned, the Puzzle glinting darkly from where it hung on his neck. "I have decided to lock the Shadows away. I will use my Ren as a seal. You are to carry out the ritual. Is that clear enough, or do I have to pummel the idea into your head with the Rod?"

"I am sure that it need not go that far, my Pharaoh." Seth replied smoothly, determined to keep the conversation going on for as long as he could before he sna-

"Then I take it that you are perfectly willing to put the Rod to its proper use, and help me to lock my soul away."

The priest snapped. Status of the son of Ra be damned, but he was not going to follow orders to as good as murder his Pharaoh.

Atem blinked. Seth had gotten up from kneeling in front of the throne, climbed the three stairs to position himself in front of his cousin, towering over him with his considerable height, and grabbed him by the shoulders in a tight, trembling grip. The young Pharaoh mused over how long Seth had practiced to move that fast.

"Ren lost to the sands of time, never to be spoken again. Sheut and Ba, locked with the Shadows." Seth's voice began as a vehement hiss, slowly giving way to a roar that made the guards outside tremble; one worthy of the High Priest's beloved Blue Eyes White Dragon. "Ha to be consumed by the Shadows, Gods alone know _what_ will happen to Ib and Ka- probably condemned to Duat on Earth, and _why are you laughing?!_"

The Son of Ra shook with laughter, wiping tears from his kohl-lined eyes. "Oh, cousin mine," he chuckled. "You have always protected me, have you not? It seems like yesterday when you took the blame for my mistake and let yourself get whipped for it..."

"This is more serious than who gets the whip to his back," Seth was incredulous. "Do you not fear death?"

"...Yes." Atem whispered, all jocularity gone from his face. A barrier seemed to collapse, and Seth looked once more into the eyes of the frightened youth who had lost his father and gained the weight of the Pharaoh's crown in a single day.

Then his back straightened, and the proud Pharaoh of all Egypt looked back. "But I will do whatever it takes to protect my people. Even if it costs me my soul."


	5. DPHP: Thanksgiving

Disclaimer: I do not own DP or HP.

* * *

As the feast appeared, Danny's eyes widened at the turkey, seemingly appearing from nowhere, and shrieked. By the time his neighbours looked in his direction, there was only a fading scream, and the Ravenclaws staring oddly at the quivering lump of Fenton taking residence under his sister's seat.

"Apologies, Headmaster," Jazz, blushing, called out with a mixture of exasperation and barely concealed panic. "He's just afraid that the turkey will try to eat us again."

As Sam and Tucker arrived to prise Danny off the floor, Dumbledore reflected that the exchange students might be more trouble than they were worth.


	6. StH: CHAOS: ROUGE

A warped AU of the Sonicverse- and I mean warped. Inspiration from the song Skyway Avenue by We The Kings. Possibly more drabbles to come for this one, but not for a long time.

Disclaimer: I do not own StH.

* * *

"Why?" he breathed.

She had fascinated him; speaking of the horrors and uselessness of life until he had believed her- and did he mention that fabulous body?

"Life," She shrugged, and he watched in fascination as her body flowed sinuously with the movement. "We are born, we live a little, and we die. It's a dead end, and it makes little difference what we do. The best we can do is to go out with a big bang. Join me?"

And that was how he found himself on the roof of the building, hand in hand with her and running off the ledge, and he was falling, falling, delirious in his joy-

Until her wings flared out, and he looked into her aqua eyes and knew that he would fall alone. "Why?" he repeated, wind rushing past his ears in a confusing roar.  
She merely smiled intoxicatingly at him, and before they both hit the ground, her wings caught the air and sent her gliding gracefully away, leaving the broken man as a mangled mess on the hard gravel.

"Because there needs to be a little chaos in the world," She murmured, and disappeared into the darkness.

CEO OF MULTIBILLIONARE PROWER CORPORATION COMMITED SUICIDE ON THE CORPORATION'S BUILDING. HIS WILL HAS YET TO BE FOUND, AND THE COMPANY HAS BEEN THROWN INTO CONVOLUTIONS BY HIS DEATH. THIS IS NOT THE FIRST TRAGEDY TO BEFALL THE PROWER FAMILY- HIS NEPHEW WENT MISSING SHORTLY AFTER THE ACCIDENT THAT ORPHANED THE YOUNG MILES (Cont. on pg3)


	7. HPDP: Fear Me

In this, Danny was practicing opening portals with Wulf, Sam and Tucker, and they... wound up somewhere else than what they expected.

Disclaimer: Don't own Phantom or Potter, more's the pity.

* * *

Riddle was cut off from his rant when in between him and Harry, a green, glowing swirl appeared, and three teens and a wolf-like creature were thrown out, the swirl dissipating into thin air soon after.

"No! The technology!" The boy with a red beret panicked, diving to catch an odd-looking machine before it could land in the muck of the Chamber of Secrets.

Harry's eyes were drawn to the creature, and his eyes widened, forgetting all about Riddle for the moment. "A... werewolf?" He whispered, backing away.

"Oh, whoops." The white-haired boy picked himself off the floor, giving a look-over of the Chamber with green eyes, glowing like the portal that had brought them here. "I think we can safely say that this isn't Wisconsin."

"I think we can safely say that this isn't Wisconsin. Fear me." The machine in the other boy's hands repeated. The girl, dusting herself off, gave it a dirty look.

"La ĝusta sento, sed eble tro potenco, juna Fantomo." To Harry's surprise, the werewolf spoke, and the machine- how did that thing work in Hogwarts, anyway?- translated: "The right feeling, but maybe too much power, young Phantom."

"What is the meaning of this?" The hissed words reminded Harry of why he was down here in the first place, and he looked over to see Riddle's face so white with fury, he was sure the boy would faint from lack of blood circulation.

Everyone's eyes were drawn to the machine as it repeated in a monotone, "What is the meaning of this. Fear me."

"Isn't there any way to shut that thing up?" The girl, scary enough with her dark eyeshadow and acidic-looking lipstick, looked ready to throw the machine to the ground and stomp on it.

"My dad forgot to install a power switch to the Ghost Gabber, remember?" The white-haired boy sighed as the 'Ghost Gabber' repeated after him again, tacking the obligatory 'Fear me' to the end of his sentence.

"Well, then thrash it! Destroy the blasted thing with an ectoblast, Danny!"

"And how do you propose we understand what Wulf says, then?" The boy with the red beret interjected. "I still haven't learnt enough Esperanto to ask him more than 'What is the time'."

"Darn it, Tucker, I don't care! If I hear 'Fear me' one more time-!"

"Silence, fools!" The effect of the words was somewhat lessened by the echoing Ghost Gabber, which continued in its noble quest to attach 'Fear me' to every sentence. "You have intruded into the Chamber of Secrets, sacred to Salazar Slytherin and his descendants, and for that, you shall die-"

"-And for that, you shall die. Fear me."

With a shrill scream, he whirled to face the statue at the front of the Chamber, and Harry stiffened when he heard the rasping sounds of Parseltongue. Riddle was calling the Basilisk. "Get out of here!" He yelled to the group, but their attention was now held by the Ghost Gabber.

"Speak to me, Slytherin. Fear me. Greatest of the Hogwarts four. Fear me."

"That just reeks of an oversized ego, dude." Tucker chortled. "And here I thought Technus was bad."

"KILL THEM!" Riddle screamed, spittle flying from his mouth.

"Kill them. Fear me."

The four of them burst out in laughter, further enraging the pale teen. The werewolf slashed the air, and another glowing green portal opened. They jumped in, still giggling, but before the portal closed again, a white-haired head poked out, and green eyes sparkled with mischief. "And dude, you know what? Get a cleaner for this place, it almost reeks as much as this Slytherin guy's ego."

Riddle's roar of rage made even the Basilisk flinch.


	8. DPWolf'sRain: Paradise

Have not finished watching Wolf's Rain, and it's pretty obvious that I have no firm grasp on Kiba's character.

I...wanted a warm-feeling-inside story, but with tragedy and sadness too. (Needless to say, I failed.) The fact that Danny is even in this instead of a random human or not-human is purely due to the death aspect. Heck, he isn't even in character, so feel free to replace him with any vapid-charactered half-ghost. On the whole, one of the worst things I've ever had the guts to post (I wrote it five minutes ago) and a mere experiment in gut feeling for stories and for conversation-based scenes. The only excuse I have is that I need to get all the feelings out or become a mud-filled pond of emotions. I just feel vaguely bad for not writing and posting more- I apologise for Old Friend and Laws of Anime, and hope this will appease those who put either on watch list until the weekends, which is hopefully when I'll update one or the other.

Disclaimer: Don't own the wolves or the ghosts.

* * *

"You are not wholly human." Caution, and barely hidden curiosity.

"Nope. I'm half-ghost. Are you a werewolf?"

A contemptuous snort. "Human perceptions and fairy tales. There is no man-wolf. There is only man, and their ancestors the wolves."

"And which are you?"

"Ookami. Wolf."

"You share this information very freely."

"You are not human either. You know of the prejudice and hate our brethren receive."

"True."

A silence- not comfortable, but not overly hostile. "Half-ghost- does that mean you are half dead? Is that the reason for your interest in me?"

"You'll be fi-"

"Do not coddle me with lies. I have failed in my quest, and now it is my time to pass on."

"...Yes. I think that is why I am drawn to you, of all others in this world. Your quest...?"

"The quest of every wolf in the world."

"And what is your quest?"

"To find Paradise."

Paradise...

A hand laid itself gently on the unmoving, white-furred head. "I wish you all the luck in finding your Paradise... Kiba."

A soft gust swirled the snow, pure white flakes floating skywards.


	9. SU: In the Spotlight

I don't really know what this is. Experimental?

Sonic the Hedgehog, specifically Sonic Underground. From collective point of view of Sonic and Manic.

**Disclaimer: If I owned SU, Buttnik would've been overthrown and the throne taken back by Aleena by the final episode.**

* * *

You step, nervously, into the harsh light. Somebody in the vast hall coughs. You wince, nearly imperceptibly, but as your brothers, we know better.

As you slowly walk into position, we know that with every pace, echoing off the walls and fading into silence, your heart leaps faster, although you have done this dozens of times before, and will dozens of times again. Your eyes are fixed to the front, but not through calmness or lack of trepidation at the many watching, measuring eyes on you; we have seen that look many times before, when facing down an overwhelming amount of Robotnik's forces- it merely means that you are determined, scared beyond scared that you will fail, let Mobius down; but that only gives you the strength to carry on.

It is what makes you, you.

Slowly, as though hesitant, a white light flashes in the dark, and like a floodgate opening, many others follow suit. But you do not even flinch, and we feel pride swelling in our hearts for you. Never mind that these vultures are hovering over your every move, never mind how countless eyes stare, measure, judge- you are our Sonia, and when on duty, our Sonia will not budge for anything short of the planet splitting apart.

You reach your destination, and as you bow and seat yourself, the creak of seats indicate everyone else leaning forward, eager. Everything goes silent, as the grave. The fluorescent lighting glares off your hair, your gloves, making you look pale and small, uncertain; like the yellow light in the chilling Roboticizer chamber.

But we are your brothers, and as you lift your arm, we know you are far from uncertain.

Fingers, fluttering like butterflies, descend on the ivory and ebony of the keyboard, and as the first bold note rings out throughout the concert hall, we release our breaths and smile, silently joining in with tapping fingers and unobtrusive air guitaring.

For as your siblings, we know, and we know you know, that our hearts are in music, and even before the first note, we are already together in the time of medallions and singing and hope.


	10. DPxxxHolic: Wish

Last sentence doesn't exactly make proper grammatical sense, but just... ignore it. People who know both fandoms well enough should know what it really refers to, anyway. I think this is the first proper drabble I've written- half the time it winds up being three times longer than needed.

...I think I overdid the butterfly symbolism.

Disclaimer: I wonder how much Yuuko charges to own all the fandoms I like...

* * *

"The fact that you're here means that you have a wish."

He thought of his parents' disappointed faces. "I want to fix the Fenton Portal."

"That is your wish?"

He nodded, and for a moment, she saw pearl-white hair, and a hazmat suit.

"Your wish will be granted." Mokona's short fur slid through her caressing fingers.

Settling the origami butterfly he had been fingering back onto her palm, Daniel Fenton left the store, sliding the butterfly-patterned shoji door shut behind him.

Her voice trailed after his steps, whispering like butterfly wings. "Your payment when you fix the Portal, Phantom."


	11. HTTYD: Occupational Hazards

Very profoundly not satisfied with this. Taken almost wholesale from the movie, and not well written on the whole. Ah well, it's a start. Spoilers for ending, if you haven't watched it before.

**Disclaimer:** I'll own it when I learn how to train my dragon to threaten people and get away with it.

* * *

The first thing that comes to mind is, Thor's Hammer, but you _hurt_, and in places you never even knew existed. A short breeze blows against the hair hiding your closed eyes, and you decide not to wake up until the aches all go away.

Then Toothless' hard scales prod you in your stomach, squashing all the air out of your lungs and folding you in half, and before you know it, you are sitting with eyes open in a squint, grabbing at the renewed pains at your midriff.

Didn't he know that you wanted to sleep? Useless reptile.

* * *

Your Viking is awake! Finally!

You cannot even begin to count the suns that had passed with him lying half-dead, and you almost half-dead yourself in your worry. It certainly felt like you were half-dead, with half your soul battered and bruised and bloody and in the deep healing sleep-

But that no longer matters, for now he is awake, and you finally feel like you can breathe again.

You once thought that the worst thing possible was to be grounded, and to succumb to death in the throes of the no-flight sickness-of-the-mind; but your Viking's injuries had preyed on your nightmares far more often than your disability to fly.

Your Viking seems to realise something, and starts yowling at you as you bound onto the weird branches in this Viking den. You tell him, _stop worrying!_ After all, he is alive, and all is right with the world.

You watch him from the corner of your eyes, and he throws the furs off his body- then he stops.

_Oh_, you think, slipping off onto the floor. Almost everything is right.

* * *

You stare at the metal contraption where your foot used to be, and shiver ever so slightly. When you curl your toes on your remaining foot, you can almost feel the toes on your left foot twitching too, but that is not possible, seeing as how it is no longer attached to your leg.

Not many Vikings have fake limbs, Gobber being one of the few exceptions. Most do not survive the loss of their arms or legs, and those that do rarely live long after, not getting used to the new limb before rushing into battle or dying in a dragon raid.

(Not like that will be a problem, you think, since your Dad has never let you out of the house, let alone within so much as a furlong of the fighting.)

In the long days when you stay in the forge helping Gobber, the blacksmith would tell you of how he could sometimes still feel his arm or leg, and you can see, though he never says it outright, that the wounds still hurt him on especially frigid days.

A rough head nudges your arm, and you look at your dragon's open face. You think, Toothless has gone through this before, and survived. You can too; have to, or you aren't worthy to be his rider.

You swing your legs over the edge of the bed and onto the floor. The metal makes a clunk sound as you set it onto the wood. Toothless is watching you closely to see if you need help, and you discreetly run your eyes over him to check that he hasn't lost any body parts too. He hasn't, and you are thankful for that, even with your foot missing; you would gladly give it all over again to ensure that he would not lose more than his tailfin.

Drawing in a deep breath, you grip the bedpost and lift yourself. It is hard; you do not know how long you have lain abed, but it is long enough that your muscles- what few ones you had before, that is- have softened, and you grunt as you lever yourself into a standing position.

The floor is strangely unsteady with your new leg, and you stay still for awhile, then take a step forward. You sink closer to the ground than you expected, and only just manage to catch yourself with your real foot. In your mind, you are already planning changes to this prosthetic: make the base broader, minimize the metal used to make it lighter, and if you are going to fly, you need to make a new saddle for Toothless, that you can control with your new foot-

You buckle, and Toothless catches you on his broad head, his steady strength bolstering your own, always by your side to catch you. You look down at him, and think, _how ironic, that now we are both cripples_. Only, that is not quite right- somehow, you cannot quite connect Toothless with the word 'cripple', since he will never be helpless in your eyes.

Looping your arm around his neck, you thank him in a murmur, and together, you limp your way across the floor. Whatever it is, you think, you have Toothless and Toothless has you, so in your own unique way, the two of you will never be cripples- merely two halves of a whole. And with that thought, you throw open the door and face the blinding light of day.


	12. HPStH: Erosion

Inspiration taken from a HP fic where Snape and Harry are both locked in Azkaban, and take turns to keep their sanity. Cannot recall which fic it was, but whatever it is, credit for that idea goes to the writer.

Don't even ask what Mobian hedgehogs are doing in wizarding prison.

**Disclaimer:** If I owned the franchise, Sonic Generations would _so_ be out for the Wii.

* * *

_Skritch. Skritch._

'Stop that, faker.' He scowls, tired and cranky, and runs a hand through messy blue head-quills. The other hedgehog looks up, one pupil contracting and fixing, unblinkingly, on his face. 'And stop that, too. You know it doesn't scare me. Now get here and give me a break.'

'But Professor Gerald, I don't want to. GUN hasn't the faintest idea of sentient being rights, and I swear some of them don't even know I am sentient, and they'll turn me over to their so-called scientists, and Professor, I don't want to go with their scientists, those sadists keep doing the worst experiments, and I know I'm just an experiment but they keep hurting me and-!'

'Maria will be there.'

Slowly, his eyes come into focus, and he blinks. 'I hate it when you do that, faker. I was doing quantum physics exercises with Maria.'

'Yeah, well, it's been two patrols already, and I need a break. Or would you rather I join you in insanity and let us both sink?' They glare at each other, green meeting red, then green sighs and breaks eye contact.

'Sorry,' he mutters, slumping against the hard wall he is manacled to. 'I just- it's been bad, and I swear it's getting worse. I can hardly remember home now, and when I'm myself, I can't even see Tails' face properly. Or- or the others.'

'It'll pass. We'll find a way out of here.' He sounds less and less confident even to himself. 'The kid will build something to teleport him here, or us back, or we'll break free ourselves and find an Emerald.'

Suddenly, he stiffens, red eyes flickering to the entrance of their cell. 'Another patrol.'

The soul-sucking feeling sweeps over them like a cloud, and between the screaming and wailing, a blue-eyed girl is shot, and waves close in over a blue-furred head, and blood drips down her outstretched arm, and an orange fox struggles for breath in the grip of a monstrous machine, and a smile graces that broken lifeless body, and dead bodies wash up in the flotsam left in Perfect Chaos' wake-

-and it passes, and they draw in breath once again.

Sonic's is let out in a shuddering chuckle. 'Heh. Now I'm the grumpy one, and you're Mr Optimistic. Could've sworn it used to be the opposite.'

'We _will_ find a way out.' Shadow's breaths are short, still recovering. 'I'll eventually build up enough Chaos energy for a Spear to break these chains, then we'll spindash our way out of here. Definitely.'

'Yeah.' Eyelids droop. 'Sorry, Shadow, I can't hold on anymore. Really need that break.'

'Go ahead, Sonic. Give my regards to Tails.' He watches as the eyelids open once more to reveal slightly unfocused green pupils. The blue hedgehog looks around curiously, then notices the wall scratched half-full of complicated mathematical workings and scientific equations, half-full of abstract patterns and half-formed pictures. With a child-like grin, he lifts a finger, and starts scratching away.


	13. TRCHG: Back to School

Post-series, since... well. Just because. The two are separate, I just didn't think the second one warranted an entirely different chapter.

Disclaimer: Whatever madness I dream up for this fandom, rest assured that CLAMP can top it.

* * *

"Hyuu~! There are two Kuro-chus!"

"Kurogane!" Both men bellowed, then stared at each other.

"What's wrong, Kuro-rin-sensei~?" Another Fai climbed in through the window, and Syaoran began to look pained.

* * *

Yuuko was highly amused to have two Kuroganes, three Syaorans, three Yuui/Fais and three small bunny things in her school. In fact, the first thing Watanuki heard upon entering the room was Yuuko tittering that "We just need one more Kurogane-sensei to finish off the set!"

Both Kuroganes spent the day yelling at her while two of the blonds gallivanted with the Mokonas around the school, the third following with a long-suffering smile; one of the Syaorans seemed to be trying to give himself a concussion with the blackboard (which one was anyone's guess), Watanuki flailed, Yuuko laughed-

And the school just collectively shrugged and went about their studies.

After all, it was just another peaceful day at Horitsuba Gakuen.

* * *

"Yuui-kun, where's your homework?"

"Ah, my dog ate it. Isn't that right, Kuro-woof?"

Inarticulate rage.


	14. OkamiStH: Belief

Eh. I couldn't remember what age Tails was during SA2, so I just gave a random guess and hoped for the best. Just mentally edit to whatever age he was at the time.

Disclaimer: Don't own any of them, more's the pity.

* * *

"She is a god," he says gravely, golden hair flowing freely in the Mobian wind. "Not of this world, but a Sun Goddess nevertheless."

Now, Tails is a logical fox. He can calculate within two seconds whether the velocity Sonic is spindashing at, coupled with the massive centripetal force he exerts on himself, is sufficient to tear through the newest Eggman robot. He can construct a basic computer from the wreckage of badniks Sonic likes to leave in his wake, and he can use it to hack into Eggman's systems, no problem.

But then again, Tails is also Sonic's little brother. He has practically lived his entire childhood playing with a being who likes to take one look at the overwhelming odds stacked against him and stick his tongue out to say 'nyah-nyah, you can't catch me!' before proceeding to race past and win regardless. He has fought with gods, met with spirits, even piloted a spaceship at the age of eight.

So, to this ludicrous statement, he merely replies, "Oh, okay", and they proceed to discuss the technical specifics of the Ark of Yamato, while in the background, a blue blur plays tag with a white one that leaves flowers in her wake.


	15. TRCWDown: Dreamwalkers

Because Mokona's amazing translation skills are a very amusing plot point. Also, crossing over to Watership Down is always great to pull off, especially if the other series is human-based.

Assume Mokona's close enough but not with them, so that's why they're looking for him by checking rabbit warrens. Yes, it makes sense.

Disclaimer: Don't own any of them, more's the pity.

* * *

"Hazel-rah?" Blackberry reported with a dazed look on his face. "There are three Men outside. They told me they want to talk to the Chief Rabbit."

"Men. Talked to you." Hazel repeated, sure that his ears needed some cleaning.

"In Lapine."

"Blackberry, are you sure you don't need to rest for a bit...?"

"Hazel, I'm not delirious. Go outside and see for yourself- Fiver's already talking to them."

And when he exited the warren, sure enough, three Men were stretched out on the grass, conversing rather deeply with his brother.

"So in a sense, you are a dreamwalker?" One with red eyes and fur black as Inlé asked, voice rumbling like a _hrududil._

"You could say that." Fiver sat before them contentedly, as if holding a conversation in Lapine with a bunch of _elil_ was as normal as chewing pellets. "But it's more of seeing the future, what will happen, and most of the time I don't really understand it all."

"Hyuu, that sounds really scary." The one with fur the colour of dried grass added. "But have you ever talked to anyone else while you see all this? Sort of within your head, not to someone in the real world."

"Not to other rabbits, at the very least. There was once when I talked to a Man, back when we thought Hazel was dead, but he didn't feel real, so I don't think that's what you're talking about. Maybe I'll do like you said, and try to find your friend while I sleep. What was his name, again?"

"Watanuki." The last one said, brown eyes flicking in his direction. "In any case, I think we've got company, so we should probably wrap up this discussion before his eyes drop out of his head."


	16. HTTYD: Red

Post-movie, unspecified time.

Font goes absolutely crazy whenever I type a special character in.

Disclaimer: Thank you for summing that up.

* * *

The flame-red of a Terror's fire, the ruby droplets of a Nightmare's scales, but worse, much, much worse than all of that. There is too much of it, the glare of a setting Sól splashed across the sky, the waters of Berk, and how could a small scrawny human hold so much liquid anyway-?

Slowly, it dawns that the female is pushing, pulling, tugging, choking out words. "Please, Toothless, we need to tend to him, you need to let our healers do their work, _please_, Toothless, just move, let go-"

No. No, never let go, never relinquish the hold on him that is all that keeps him here, in Midgard, with you-

"...Toothless?"

The breathless murmur is enough to bring your head snapping down, gaze fixing unerringly on your Hiccup's brown eyes that look so trustingly up at you. Deep within, you feel a sense of relief, that even when he looks towards the female with that look in his eyes, even when his flight begins to accept him for what he is instead of what they want him to be, the first thing he calls for in his wounded state is you, you, you- and you really shouldn't, it is definitely _not_ the right time for this, but even with his life rushing out onto the craggy rocks beneath the both of you, you can feel it warming you inside like no fire can.

The female talks to him through the enveloping darkness of your wings, yelling something that you do not care to listen to. Your Hiccup does, though, even as he pulls himself to snuggle closer to you, metal leg clanking on the ground.

"'S cold, Toothless." You feel him shivering against your side, even though your embrace should have trapped the air between your body and your wings, and kept him much warmer than the glacial Berkian temperatures. "Astrid wants you to give me to the healers-"

He pauses at your distinct growl of disapproval, and you take the chance to curl up around him even more. Your Viking hisses in pain, and you whine in apology.

"Ah- I'm fine, bud-" He breaks off and gives a little laugh. "Well. I guess I'm not. I really messed up this time, huh?"

You nuzzle him gently, crooning. Even after all this time, he still takes any failure as his fault, even when it clearly is not, and again you feel that smouldering rage against his flight, who had such power over him even when they had shunned him for most of his life. And these are the beings the female wants you to give his Hiccup to?

"It'll be alright, bud." Hiccup speaks softly to you, somehow finding the strength to stroke your jaw. "You can let the healers take a look at me. I promise you, things will be okay. But you have to let the healers help me, okay, Toothless?"


	17. xXxHolicFMA: Equivalence

Because when they said 'equivalent exchange', I thought, oh, Yuuko made scientific. Written in a rush.

The harming of the 'body in the physical plane, the fate in the astrological realm, and the soul in the spiritual plane' (or something along those lines, at any rate) is taken from one of the earlier chapters in xXxHoLic, and one of the final ones in Tsubasa. Tried to incorporate Watanuki's growth; starting to understand the balance of prices and why self-sacrifice is no good, but not quite ready yet to apply that to himself. Oh, you silly fool.

**Disclaimer:** FMA is a masterpiece that I can only dream of creating. And CLAMP, just CLAMP.

* * *

"_Give him back!_"

Watanuki nearly drops the tray, so startled is he by the sudden scream. Yuuko looks up, and something flickers in her dark eyes, but it disappears quickly enough that he wonders if he hadn't imagined it.

"Yuuko-san...?" It is not the first time the shop is catering to long-distance customers, but to only hear the voice of this one is unusual and unnerving. Watanuki is starting to understand the magnitude of _need _one requires to even enter Yuuko's shop, and the raw desperation and pain in those words is enough to move his hand to his right eye in sympathetic pain, for the price this customer will undoubtedly have to pay for his wish.

"_He's my brother! Take my leg, my arm, my heart, anything!_"

"No!" The tray slams against the wooden table, sake sloshing out of the bottle, as Watanuki turns to Yuuko. "The price, it's too much! Yuuko-san, tell him-!"

"There is no need."

"But, the customer, he'll be hurt! Like you said, in body, soul and fate!"

"Edward Elric's world is based on equivalent exchange." She pours a glass of sake for herself from the half-spilt bottle and downs it like a shot. "He understands what price needs to be paid in exchange for that which he values most."

"_You can have it! Just give him back! He's my little brother, he's all I have left!_"

"It is more of a toll that he pays, and not to me, but to a different power altogether. My favourite kind of customer; he has determination and the drive to move forward under his own power. No, Fullmetal has no need of my services."

The emergency dealt with, Watanuki finally registers the sake splattered all over his hands and the table. Yelping, he pulls out a dishcloth from his apron pocket and starts wiping everything down.

"...Will he get his little brother back?"

His eyes are focused on his task, so he cannot see the warm smile that appears on his employer's face. "Yes. He does."


	18. CoDMW: Easy Answer

Wait what? I haven't posted this? I wrote this two years ago! Two entire years!

I don't actually follow CoD- that's my brother- but the one aspect that gripped me from the start was the camaraderie between Soap and Price, and later Nikolai. It started as a 'okay, this is quite nice' feeling, then MW2 came and Soap instantly went "This belongs to you, sir" and I was just sold. Entirely.

And then he died. I still harbour a guilty glee that one of my favourite levels is Blood Brothers, purely for the fact that it is basically Soap bleeding out his life through the entire map while Price grows increasingly frantic. And then Price _punches you down an entire flight of stairs_.

This is the cutscene for Stronghold. Contains references to Soap's Journal. I know nothing of how the UK military works, only the little that wikia has told me about that clocktower. Also, cannot stress this enough: _fiction_, fan_fiction_, written by a casual fan. No intention whatsoever of going anywhere near real life.

* * *

Price flips open the laptop, starts it up. As he waits, his eyes gravitate, almost reluctantly, to the small leatherbound book that lies just next to his hand.

The door swings open, and the muted "Captain Price-" is quickly cut off. Nikolai shuts the door and takes a chair next to him, and if he sees the black eyebags on Price's face, he is smart enough to not say anything.

Price tears his eyes away, and goes through the now-familiar process of contacting his old captain. The terminal beeps, and he pulls on his mic and headphones in time to hear MacMillian's greeting of "John."

For a moment, his breath catches, and the pain comes flooding back again at the sound of Scottish-accented words.

"John? You there, son?"

"I-" The syllable is choked. He wrestles his voice back into control, and goes straight into it. "You have jurisdiction over the clocktower?"

By his side, Nikolai stirs and questions him, even as MacMillian goes quiet on the other end.

"There's a clocktower in Hereford..." He begins, eyes going back to the black journal, the words he had read and re-read through the night. "Where the names of the dead are inscribed."

Now it is Nikolai's turn to suck in his breath, and it does not escape nor surprise Price that the Russian's eyes go straight to the wall, the few pictures tacked on with tape, the dog tags swinging limply from the knife driven into the surface in a fit of rage and grief.

Softer, he continues. "We try to honor their deeds, even... as their faces fade from our memory."

_But the answer's easy. At least to me._

"Those memories are all that's left, when the bastards have taken everything else."

_It's a safety. **ON** or OFF._

He drops his head into his hands, struggling to compose himself. He can feel Nikolai's hand on his tense shoulder, can almost feel MacMillian's silence as a blanket, but for the moment all he wants is to see his war-hardened face again, hear his Scottish voice, have the fresh-faced recruit from Selection back at his side again.

"What happened?" MacMillian asks, gentler than Price has ever heard from him.

"...He killed Soap." Voice hoarse, as he gives back the M1911 all over again. "He's gone, Mac."

"What do you need from me, son?"

Price looks up, barely noticing as Nikolai jerks away from him with fear in his eyes.

_The answer's easy for me too, Soap._

His mind races as MacMillian feeds him intel, equipment and plans falling into place one by one, and by the end of the briefing, he has compiled a list and sends it over with a click of the mouse.

"That's a lot of hardware, John." MacMillian sounds almost impressed. "What d'you plan on doing?"

It is only now that he notices the savagery written all over his face, the promise of death to the devil who has taken it all from him.

He does not care. "What you taught me to do."

"Kill them all."


End file.
